Gasometer construction



Jan. 3, 1939. H. WEICHSEL ET AL GASOMEIER CONSTRUCTION Filed May 24, 1937 INVENTORS HANS WE/CHSEL GA. WATERS ATTORNEY.

Patented Jan. 3, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Waters, University City, Mo., assignors to Wagner Electric Corporation, St. Louis, Mo., a corporation of Delaware Application May 27, 1937, Serial No. 145,092

3 Claims.

Our invention relates to gasometers for use in supplying inert gas to the gas space in transformers and other sealed fluid containers to maintain inert gas rather than air therein, and

pertains to an improvement in the form of gasometer construction described in a co-pending application of Hans Weichsel, Serial No. 144,321, filed May 22, 1937, wherein is shown a gasometer consisting of a lower casing element associated with a weighted flexible and expansible bag and forming a gas chamber, and an upper casing embracing the bag and weight throughout a substantial range of operating conditions.

The present invention is concerned with means for producing a gas-tight seal between the flexible bag and the casing element with which it forms a gas chamber, and to produce a construction which will permit the replacement of a defective bag without the use of skilled labor.

A further object is to provide means whereby sharp bends in the bag adjacent the periphery of its open end, will be avoided and the durability of the bag thereby increased.

In the accompanying drawing illustrating our invention, the numeral I represents the lower casing element, preferably circular, and 2 the flexible inflatable bag which with said casing element forms a variable volume gas chamber. 3 indicates the weight carried by the upper surface of the bag and 4 is an upper casing element which, through a substantial range of operating conditions of the gasometer, forms a support for a considerable portion of the outer wall of the bag. The pipe 5 connects the gasometer chamber with the gas containing space at the top of an oil-filled transformer or other fluid containing tank diagrammatically illustrated at 6, and pipe I connects the gas chamber through suitable control valves to a source of inert gas under pressure (not shown). The supply of gas to the gasometer through pipe "I may be automatically controlled by any suitable means, such, for example, as disclosed in the Weichsel application hereinabove referred to, and since the particular control means forms no part of the present invention, they are not here described.

In accordance with our invention the open end of the flexible bag 2 is provided with a fitting element 8 in the form of a ring L-shaped in cross-section, as shown, the base of the L constituting a clamping flange 8a. This ring 8 is secured in gas-tight relation with the periphery of the open end of the bag by suitable means, such as cord or wire 9, and to increase the assurance of a permanent gas-tight seal, a second light ring I0 can be provided surrounding the lower end of the bag and of larger diameter than the ring 8, whereby a space is formed for reception of a suitable sealing compound II.

The lower part of the upper casing element is provided with a portion 4a of larger diameter than the remainder of the casing thereby forming a space for the reception of the lower portion i2 of the bag as this portion moves from the dotted line position to the full line position shown in the drawing. This arrangement reduces the sharpness of the bending of the bag at this point which would occur except for the enlarged portion 411 and increases its durability at this point. We also preferably provide a bead l3 having a curved outer surface and located around the upper edge of the ring 8, which bead not only cooperates to assist in maintaining the joint between the bag and the ring 8, but also avoids any sharp bend in the bag material at this point.

The numeral l4 represents a sealing gasket of cork or other suitable material to be clamped between the flange on the lower casing element I and the flange element 8a of the bag fitting 8 and by means of the clamping bolts [5 which also secure the upper casing element 4 in position.

It will be apparent that by the use of the construction described, the durability of the bag will be increased and also that should any part of the bag become defective, a new bag with an attached fitting 8 can be quickly substituted by the user and without difliculty in forming the gastight joint between it and the casing element l.

Having fully described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A gasometer comprising means forming a variable volume gas chamber, a part of the wall of said chamber being rigid and a part being in the form of a flexible inflatable element in gastight relation to the first mentioned part, a protective casing secured to the rigid portion and forming a chamber for receiving the expansible element in operation, said protective casing being provided with a portion at its lower end of larger internal diameter than the remainder of the casing, said expansible element having a flanged fitting secured in gas-tight relation to the open end thereof, and means for securing said flange in gas-tight relation with the rigid portion of the gas chamber.

3. In gasometer apparatus, the combination of a rigid casing element open at one end and hav- 

